The US Department of Defense (DoD) is in the midst of an experiment to inject “innovation” into its procurements and processes. The Defense Innovation Initiative (DII) is now in its second year, and has multiple components, but one of its high profile efforts is the Defense Innovation Unit-Experimental (DIUx), which has opened an office in Silicon Valley. The authors contend that the purpose of DIUx is not just to locate and fund interesting companies, but…

The United States’ national security and military capabilities are dependent on the development, acquisition, and utilization of innovative technologies. The Department of Defense (DoD) has robust processes for developing its own high-tech solutions and it has developed strong partnerships with major suppliers of military technologies. However, the commercial technology arena, which is full of start-up companies and small businesses, generates a gigantic market for science and technology research and development that cannot be ignored. Centers…

The authors present a case for a NEURINT (neurocognitive intelligence) approach to intelligence operations. This newly developing technology integrates tools from computational and neuro-cognitive sciences to enable automated access, acquisition and analysis of multiple sources of information to model and predict targets’ intentions and actions. The approach would utilize information from the brain sciences, together with human cognitive and machine-based processing, and cyber technologies and methods to synergize HUMINT, SIGINT and COMMINT in assessing and…

Views in Brief

The American Dream is an idea – an idea that has driven this country and inspired the world for almost 300 years. This dream is rooted in our Declaration of Independence with the words: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created...

Until recently, the United States relied on our vast expenditures and resources to remain at the forefront of the technological revolution. Given the increasing speed of global advancement, this is no longer an effective strategy. We cannot rely on...

The Flint, Michigan water crisis represented a failure of government at multiple levels. However, the damage could have been prevented if key components of a regulation evaluation process had been required at the inception of the rule making...

Given the opportunity, is there anyone that would turn down living forever? Suspended animation has been a cornerstone of fairy tales and science fiction novels, albeit the two genres utilize long-term sleep in hugely disparate ways. Fairy tales,...

CReST Blogs

By Jared Mondschein, Ph.D. Firearm homicide rates are 25x higher in the United States than in other high-income nations. Over 30% of mass shootings occur in the United States. These statistics flaunt an unacceptable truth: the United States plays host[…]

S&T Policy Fellow Science & Technology – Arlington, Virginia The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is currently inviting applications from mid-to-senior career professionals from diverse backgrounds including academia, industry, military and government, for a position as an S&T policy fellow.[…]